General:
Deciduous perennial herb from a slender rhizome, spreading; aerial stems absent but single leaves are sent up along the rhizome.

Leaves:
Basal, palmately compound with 3 leaflets, blades fan-shaped, 3-9 lobed, deciduous, with a vanilla-like fragrance when dry.

Flowers:
Inflorescence in compact spikes, 2-5 cm long; sepals and petals lacking; stamens white, 8-20 mm long.

Fruits:
Achenes dark brown to reddish-purple, 3-4 mm long, finely hairy, with a somewhat fleshy to leathery thickened ridge.

Notes:
Recently some taxonomists (e.g., Williams 1993, Kartesz 1994) have recognized a second species (A. californica) in western North America. The latter is characterized by having a central leaflet with 6-8 lobes, whereas A. triphylla has a central leaflet with 3 lobes. Examination of herbaria material reveals that many sheets have mixed collections of plants with central leaflets with both 3 lobes (actually the 3-lobed ones usually have 2 additional, much smaller lobes, on the sides) and 7-9 lobes. This has also been noted in the field. At this time, we are not convinced that A. californica is worthy of recognition.

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.